MELBOURNE - An insatiable work ethic and commanding court presence have propelled Aryna Sabalenka to the cusp of a fifth Grand Slam title, a far cry from the talented but mentally fragile player of her younger days.
Two Australian Open crowns, in 2023 and 2024, and two at the US Open have established the powerful Belarusian as the dominant force in the women's game.
Already the first woman to mount a successful title defence at Melbourne Park since compatriot Victoria Azarenka in 2013, the 27-year-old can etch her name among the greats by winning a third on Saturday against Elena Rybakina.
In doing so, she would join an esteemed group including Serena Williams, Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf.
She is playing a fourth consecutive Australian Open final, something only Evonne Goolagong and Hingis have done previously in the Open era.
"I just love this place," Sabalenka said of playing on Rod Laver Arena. "I love this stadium. Every time I'm competing there, I really enjoy my time."
While now her happy place, where she's lost just one of her last 25 matches, it is a far cry from the 2022 tournament where her serve was in pieces and her fragile emotions laid painfully bare.
The dramatic change since then has been a reward for hard work with her coaches and a sports psychologist, which has given her a zen-like peace while losing none of her fierce competitive instincts.
"Right now my mentality is like I'm ready to do whatever, whatever is going to be in that finals, I'm ready to go out there and fight with what I have and do everything I can," she said.
"I think when I have this mentality, I play my best tennis, and I'm there, I'm fighting."
The belief in herself allows Sabalenka to dig herself out of sticky situations, starkly illustrated by an incredible record in tie-breaks.
During her fourth-round clash with teenage Canadian Victoria Mboko, she broke Novak Djokovic's Open era record of consecutive tie-breaks won at Grand Slams.
Sabalenka has attributed her dominance over the past year to being "more mature, older, whatever you want to call it".